Washing machine

ABSTRACT

Provided is a washing machine including: a packing water-sealing part having a packing component arranged between an upper end part of the tub and an upper end part of the drum to inhibit water from leaking outwards from the tub; a labyrinth part adopting a labyrinth structure and for arranging ribs lower than the packing water-sealing part between an tub cover and the upper end part of the drum at an inner side of the packing water-sealing part; and a hopper serving as a heightened drum and arranged integrally with the tub cover for retaining water whose water level is higher than a water level at the upper end of the drum.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure mainly relates to a washing machine suitable forhousehold use.

BACKGROUND

In the past, a so-called vertical washing machine is known and has adrum which is open upwards for accommodating laundry and a tub foraccommodating the drum (e.g., refer to a patent literature 1). Toprevent water from overflowing to an outer side of the tub, a waterlevel of supplied water is generally set in a low position with acertain degree of allowance compared with a balancer arranged on anupper end of the drum in a washing process and a rinsing process of thewashing machine. Moreover, with respect to water exceeding the balancerof the drum and reaching an inner surface side of a tub body of the tub,such a manner also exists that a packing component is arranged betweenthe tub and a tub cover to prevent the water from leaking outwards fromthe tub.

However, not only the above patent literature, but also an existingvertical washing machine cannot pursuit the washing process and therinsing process of storing the water on the water level near the upperend part in order to flexibly utilize a volume of the drum moreeffectively. If the set water level is raised to increase the waterwhich flows into the tub side, a water sealing measure will become noteffective if a thread fixing position fastened by a packing componentarranged between the tub and the tub cover is not raised.

Further, when such a requirement exists that the water level is raisedto a position higher than the upper end part of the balancer and thelike provided with the drum, a present situation is that, an existingpacking water-sealing structure for preventing the water from leakingbetween a packing water-sealing part and the tub cannot deal with therequirement.

Existing Technical Literature Patent Literature

-   Patent Literature 1: Japan specifically disclosed No. 2011-240004    Bulletin

SUMMARY Problems to be Solved by the Invention

The present disclosure aims to effectively solve such problems. Apurpose of the present disclosure is to provide a washing machine so asto effectively utilize a volume of a drum by preventing water in thedrum from leaking from a tub.

Solution for Solving the Problems

In view of the above problems, the present disclosure adopts thefollowing solution.

That is, the washing machine of the present disclosure includes: a drumfor accommodating laundry; a tub for accommodating the drum; a packingwater-sealing part having a packing component arranged between an upperend part of the tub and an upper end part of the drum to inhibit waterfrom leaking outwards from the tub; a labyrinth part adopting alabyrinth structure and for arranging ribs lower than the packingwater-sealing part between a tub cover and the upper end part of thedrum at an inner side of the packing water-sealing part; and aheightened drum arranged integrally with the tub cover for retainingwater whose water level is higher than a water level at the upper end ofthe drum.

In addition, in the present invention, the heightened drum includes alower end part configured to be continuous with the upper end part ofthe drum and a large-diameter upper end part formed with a diameterwhich gradually increases upwards from the lower end part.

In addition, in the present invention, the heightened drum is providedwith an overflow hole in a side wall, and has an overflow hose forenabling the water to overflow outwards from the overflow hole.

Effects of the Invention

According to the present disclosure described above, by providing alabyrinth part adopting a labyrinth structure and ribs lower than thepacking water-sealing part are arranged between an tub cover and theupper end part of the drum at an inner side of the packing water-sealingpart, so that clothes can be prevented from being entered into thelabyrinth part even if a set water level is raised to enable the clothesto enter a clearance between the upper end part of the drum and the tub.

In addition, since a highest water level in a washing process and/or arinsing process is set to be higher than an upper end part of the drum,when the labyrinth part is in a state of air accumulation due toincrease of a water level in the labyrinth part, and water is blockedand cannot enter due to the air accumulation. The water in the drum canbe prevented from flowing out of the tub side even if the water level isincreased, thereby increasing water quantity for effectivelyimplementing the washing process and the rinsing process.

The heightened drum is also arranged and the heightened drum is arrangedintegrally with the tub cover for retaining the water higher than awater level at the upper end of the drum. Therefore, the same effect asthe washing machine with an increased volume of the drum can beobtained.

In addition, according to the present disclosure that the heighteneddrum has a lower end part configured to be continuous with the upper endpart of the drum and a large-diameter upper end part formed with adiameter which gradually increases upwards from the lower end part, thevolume can be increased more effectively and throwing-in and taking-outof the drum of the laundry are performed easier.

In addition, according to the present disclosure that the heighteneddrum is provided with an overflow hole in a side wall of the heighteddrum and has an overflow hose for enabling the water to overflowoutwards from the overflow hole, the freedom of a connecting position ofthe overflow hose can be effectively increased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional diagram illustrating an appearance of awashing machine in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is another three-dimensional diagram illustrating the sameembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view illustrating the same embodiment;

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are diagrams illustrating the effects of the sameembodiment; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view illustrating part A in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to drawings, a detailed description on an embodiment of thepresent disclosure is given as follows.

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional diagram illustrating an appearance of awashing machine 1 in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an external viewillustrating a state seen in a washing machine 1 of the presentembodiment. In addition, FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating a maininternal structure of a same washing machine 1. A driving part, acontrol-related part and a figure of the control-related part of thewashing machine 1 are properly omitted in the same figure.

The washing machine 1 in the present embodiment is a washing machinesuitable for use in, for example, families, and includes: a drum 4 foraccommodating laundry; a tub 3 for accommodating the drum 4; and ahousing for accommodating the drum 4 and the tub 3 in such a manner thatthe drum 4 and the tub 3 can be well seen from outside. In addition, inthe present embodiment, besides the above tub 3, the drum 4 and thehousing, the washing machine further includes: a hopper 7 installed atan upper part of the tub 3; a damper 6 installed at a lower side of thetub 3; and a labyrinth part 8 arranged between the upper end of the tub3 and the drum 4,

Herein, the washing machine 1 in the present embodiment includes: apacking water-sealing part 34 having a packing component 35 arrangedbetween an upper end part of the tub 3 and an upper end part of the drum4 to inhibit water from leaking outwards from the tub 3; and a labyrinthpart 8 adopting a labyrinth structure and arranging ribs 81 and 82 lowerthan the packing water-sealing part 34 between a tub cover 32 and theupper end part of the drum 4 at an inner side of the packingwater-sealing part 34.

A description on structures of composition elements which form thewashing machine 1 is given as follows. Firstly, the housing 2, as shownin FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, has a bottomed approximately-cylindrical shape andis separated from the tub 3 accommodated inside by an approximatelyuniform dimension when observed from top. The housing 2 includes: ahousing body 20 providing a cylindrical body 22 which is cylindrical andopen at an upper end as a main body; a bottom wall 21 arranged on thehousing body 20, i.e., a lower end of the cylindrical body 22, andsupporting the tub 3 from the lower side; a fixing lid 24 fixed to theupper end of the housing body and has a circular annular shape whenobserved from top; and a movable lid 25 has an approximately circularshape when observed from top and movably arranged on the fixing lid 24,which enables the upper end of the housing body 20 to be selectivelyopened outwards and forming a lid side opening 28 with a drum sideopening 43 formed in the upper end part of the drum 4 open upwards.

The housing body 20 includes: a cylindrical body 22 having a cylindricalshape formed by, for example, transparent or semitransparent resin ofacrylic acid and the like; a wire cover 23 arranged across the top andbottom of the cylindrical body 22 and provided to accommodate variouswires; and a bottom wall 21 indirectly supporting the tub 3 from thelower side at a bottom surface side of the housing body 20. The fixinglid 24 has a lid side opening 28 with an approximately circular-shapedopening at an inner circumferential side, and has a hinging part 26movably supporting the movable lid 25 in a manner of opening andclosing. Moreover, a water supply part 27 is arranged. The water supplypart is disposed in a position for displacing from the hinging part 26to a circumferential direction and is provided to supply water to thedrum 4.

The tub 3 is a bottomed cylindrical component configured in the housing2, and can store washing water inside. The tub 3 includes: a tub body 31for storing water; a tub cover 32 arranged on an upper end of the tubbody 31; and a packing water-sealing part 34 clamped between the tubbody 31 and the tub cover 32 to prevent water from leaking outside. Thepacking water-sealing part 34 has a water-sealing component 36 arrangedat a lower side of the tub cover 32 and a packing component 35 providedto prevent the water from leaking. In addition, nearby specificstructures about the packing water-sealing part 34 are described later.

The drum 4 is a bottomed cylindrical component configured coaxially withthe tub 3 in the tub 3 and supported in a manner of free rotation. Thedrum 4 is an ordinary component accommodating laundry inside and havinga plurality of water through holes in a wall surface. As shown in FIG.3, a balancer 41 protruding inwards to form a circular annular shape andthree lifters 42 protruding inwards on a lower side of the balancer 41are arranged on an upper end side of an inner circumferential surface ofthe drum 4. Moreover, in a vertical full automatic washing machine 1 inthe present embodiment, a pulsator (agitating wing) 5 driven by adriving device 50 shown by an imaginary line is configured in a mannerof free rotation in a bottom center of the drum 4.

The pulsator 5 is an ordinary component having an approximatelydisk-shaped pulsator body and a plurality of blade parts formed on anupper surface of the pulsator body. The pulsator 5 agitates the washingwater stored in the tub 3 to produce a water flow. Although the positionof the driving device 50 is shown only by the imaginary line in the samefigure, a motor not shown is used as a main body so that a driving shaftextending to a bottom of the drum 4 rotates to rotate the drum 4 and thepulsator 5. The washing machine 1 mainly rotates the pulsator 5 in awashing process and rotates the drum 4 and the pulsator 5 integrally athigh speed in a dewatering process.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the tub 3 and the drum 4 in thehousing 2 are supported on the bottom wall 21 of the housing 2 by meansof the damper 6 from the lower side. In addition, the tub 3 is notsupported by a hoisting rod from a side surface or an upper side. Thatis, the configuration of the hoisting rod is avoided in the washingmachine 1 of the present embodiment, thereby further improvingvisibility of the laundry to be observed from the upper side, which willbe detailed below. The damper 6 is a component supporting the operatingtub 3 from a lower side and provided to effectively reduce vibrationgenerated by the operating tub 3. The damper 6 includes: an inner shaft61 fixed to the bottom wall 21 of the housing 2; an outer shaft 62covering an outer side of the inner shaft 61 and fixed to the tub 3side; and a spring 63 which is a compression helical spring provided toreduce the vibration transferred to the housing 2 by being clamped at alower end of the outer shaft 62 and the bottom wall 21 side of thehousing 2 and properly extended and contracted with up and down movementor vibration of the tub 3. In addition, buffer rubber 64 is arrangedbetween the outer shaft 62 and the tub 3 and between the inner shaft 61and the bottom wall 21. In the present embodiment, the damper 6, asshown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, is configured in a position with a largestdiameter or near the position within a range without protrusion whenobserved from top from the bottom of the tub 3. In addition, in thepresent embodiment, the spring 63 reduces an elastic constant in such adegree that the spring is not close during dewatering and such a degreethat the tub 3 is not inclined during operation.

In addition, in the present embodiment, as described above, the hopper 7is arranged in such a manner of being clamped from an upper side of thetub 3, i.e., specifically from the lid side opening 28 of the fixing lid24, to the drum side opening 43.

The hopper 7, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, is arranged between the lidside opening 28 and the drum side opening 43, performs a function as awater receiving guidance component for guiding throwing-in andtaking-out of the laundry from the lid side opening 28 to the drum sideopening 43, and is provided to guide throwing-in and taking-out of thelaundry from the lid side opening 28 to the drum side opening 43.

The hopper 7 is formed by an integrally formed product constituted to betransparent or semitransparent resinous, and includes a hopper body 71with an approximately conical shape, i.e., conical shape, and aprotrusion part 72 extending from a lower end part of the hopper body 71to an outer side. A diameter of an opening part as an inner edge of theprotrusion part 72 is formed into a diameter approximately correspondingto the drum 4 side opening. In addition, the hopper body 71 includes: alarge-diameter upper end part 73 with an upper end opening larger thanthe drum side opening 43; a retracing end 74 arranged on thelarge-diameter upper end part 73; and an overflow hole 75 which is anopening formed in any position of a middle position in an up-downdirection of the hopper body 71 for setting upper limit water levels ofthe washing process and the rinsing process.

The material of the hopper 7 is a resin material, a material with aspecific gravity smaller than the material used in the tub 3 is alsoused sometimes; and compared with the tub 3, the hopper 7 is alight-weight structure.

In addition, at the outer side of the overflow hole 75, as shown in FIG.2 and FIG. 4, an overflow pipe 76 for discharging water from theoverflow hole 75 to the outer side of the washing machine is connectedto avoid storing the water in the upper side of the overflow hole 75.The overflow pipe 76 uses a part which has a bent oval shape whenobserved from a top view as a main body to effectively utilize acircumferential space between the housing 2 bent into a cylindricalshape and the tub 3. Moreover, since components and structures fordischarging the water from the overflow pipe 76 to the outer side of thewashing machine are existing mechanisms and structures, description isomitted.

In addition, in the present embodiment, especially as shown in FIG. 4,the inner circumference of the lid side opening 28 of the fixing lid 24is configured as a shape and size of integrally opening the drum sideopening 43 approximately upwards, and the drum side opening 43 arrangedin the upper end part of the drum 4 is approximately integrally set as ashape and a size of upward opening. In other words, an opening edge ofthe lid side opening 28 is located on the outer side of any position ofthe drum side opening 43.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the hopper 7 performs a functionas a heightened drum for storing the water with a water level higherthan the upper end of the drum 4. In other words, in the washing machine1 of the present embodiment, a highest water level in the washingprocess and/or the rinsing process is set to be higher than the upperend part of the drum 4. In addition, in the present embodiment, asdescribed above, since the cylindrical body 22, the movable lid 25 andthe hopper 7 of the housing body 20 are provided to be transparent orsemitransparent, it is easy to see laundry which rise near a watersurface of the hopper 7 by means of the fixing lid 24 during washing,and from the side surface, it is also easy to see laundry near the watersurface from the side surface by means of the cylindrical body 22 andthe hopper 7. In other words, visualization of the laundry is optimized.Moreover, by providing the cylindrical body 22 to be transparent orsemitransparent, visualization of internal mechanism elements is alsoimproved. Therefore, the grasping of the operating state by a user andthe convenience for maintenance operation are improved.

In addition, although the hopper 7 performs a function as the heighteneddrum during washing in the present embodiment, the hopper 7 is set intoan approximately conical shape, i.e., a conical shape, so as to guidethe laundry to the drum 4 as a dewatering drum during dewatering,thereby reliably storing the laundry into the drum 4.

In addition, in the present embodiment, especially as shown in FIG. 5,the damper 6 is configured at the lower part of the tub 3 and the hopper7 as the heightened drum is formed into a light-weight type, therebyincreasing natural vibration frequency of the part supported by thedamper 6, further inhibiting a torque of an inclining direction of theouter drum 3 while reducing vibration during dewatering and reducing thevibration transferred from the damper 6.

Further, in the present embodiment, although the hopper 7 is fixed tothe tub 3 and cannot rotate, in another aspect, the drum 4 is certainlyformed to be rotatable, water will not leak between the drum 4 and thehopper 7.

That is, in the present embodiment, especially as shown in FIG. 6, thelabyrinth part 8 is a component formed across regions of the hopper 7,the tub 3 and the upper end of the drum 4, and includes: an upper siderib 81 arranged on the protrusion part 72 of the hopper 7 and extendingto the lower side of a vertical direction; a lower side rib 82 arrangedon the upper end of the drum 4 and extending to the upper side of thevertical direction; and an air accumulation part 83. The packingcomponent 35 is arranged on the upper end of the tub 3, and is arrangedin a position including the upper side of the vertical direction of animaginary plane of the front end part of the upper side rib 81 to sealthe upper end of the tub 3 and the protrusion part 73. Thus, air of theair accumulation part 83 can be prevented from exceeding the packingcomponent 35 and leaking from the tub 3.

When the water is accumulated on the upper side of the balancer 41 ofthe drum 4, a liquid level in the labyrinth part 8 is formed to be in asame plane approximately as the front end part of the upper side rib 81,and the air accumulation part 83 is formed between the liquid level andthe inner circumferential surface of the protrusion part 72 above theliquid level. By forming the air accumulation part 83, even if the waterin the hopper 7 moves from a place between the upper and the lower ribs81 and 82 to the outer side, the water moving to the outer side may bestrongly inhibited by the air accumulation part 83 since the airaccumulation part is already formed near the packing component 35. Inaddition, since the packing component 35 is arranged, even if the waterexceeds the air accumulation part 83 and immerges, the water can beprevented from flowing to the outer side of the tub 3. Thus, thequantity of fastening elements required for connecting the tub 3 withthe hopper 7 can be effectively reduced.

As mentioned above, the washing machine 1 in the present embodimentincludes the labyrinth part 8 adopting a labyrinth structure andarranging ribs lower than the packing water-sealing part 34 between thetub cover 32 and the upper end part of the drum 4 at the inner side ofthe packing water-sealing part 34, so that clothes can be prevented fromentering through the labyrinth part 8 even if a set water level israised to enable the clothes to enter a clearance between the upper endpart of the drum 4 and the tub 3.

In addition, even if a highest water level in the washing process and/orthe rinsing process is set to be higher than the upper end part of thedrum 4 in the present embodiment, when the labyrinth structure part 8 isin a state of forming the air accumulation part 83 due to increase of awater level in the labyrinth structure part 8, the water is blocked bythe air accumulation part 83 and cannot enter. The water in the drum 4can be effectively prevented from flowing out of the tub 3 side even ifthe water level is increased.

In addition, in the present embodiment, through use of the hopper 7, thehopper and the tub cover 32 are integrally arranged as the heighteneddrum for storing the water with the water level higher than the upperend of the drum 4, so that the same effect as the washing machine withan increased volume of the drum 4 can be obtained though a simplestructure is used.

In addition, the hopper 7 performing the function as the heightened drumbecomes an approximately conical shape having a lower end part to becontinuous with the upper end part of the drum 4 and a large-diameterupper end part 73 formed with a diameter which gradually increasesupwards from the lower end part, so that the volume can be increasedeffectively and throwing-in and taking-out of the drum 4 of the laundryare performed easier.

Moreover, in the present embodiment, according to the present disclosurethat the hopper 7 is provided with the overflow hole in the side walland has an overflow hose capable of enabling the water to overflowoutwards from the overflow hole, the freedom of a connecting position ofthe overflow hose can be consistent with the freedom of an upper limitposition of the water level, and the upper limit water level can be setby changing the shape of the hopper 7 independent of the drum 4 only.

Although an embodiment of the present disclosure is described above, thestructure of the present embodiment is not limited to theabove-mentioned embodiment and can be varied in any form.

For example, although the structure formed by the ribs extending alongthe up-down direction is disclosed in the above embodiment as thelabyrinth part, a mode of a labyrinth sealing shape is achievedcertainly as long as the structure is a component capable of achievingthe labyrinth sealing shape, for example, as long as the structureextends through local ribs along an inclined direction or a horizontaldirection.

In addition, although the hopper, the movable lid and even the majorityof the housing body disclosed in the above embodiment and a variationexample are structures made of transparent material, certainly thestructures can be transparent or colored as long as the structures arecomponents capable of achieving respective functions.

Various variations can be made to other structures without departingfrom the scope of the spirit of the present disclosure.

A LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1: washing machine; 3: tub; 34: a packing water-sealing part; 35:packing component; 4: drum; 8: labyrinth part; 81: rib (upper rib); and82: rib (lower rib).

1. A washing machine, comprising: a drum for accommodating laundry; atub for accommodating the drum; a packing water-sealing part having apacking component arranged between an upper end part of the tub and anupper end part of the drum to inhibit water from leaking outwards fromthe tub; a labyrinth part adopting a labyrinth structure and forarranging ribs lower than the packing water-sealing part between a tubcover and the upper end part of the drum at an inner side of the packingwater-sealing part; and a heightened drum arranged integrally with thetub cover for retaining water whose water level is higher than a waterlevel at the upper end of the drum.
 2. The washing machine according toclaim 1, wherein the heightened drum comprises a lower end partconfigured to be continuous with the upper end part of the drum and alarge-diameter upper end part formed with a diameter which graduallyincreases upwards from the lower end part.
 3. The washing machineaccording to claim 1, wherein the heightened drum is provided with anoverflow hole in a side wall of the heightened drum, and has an overflowhose for enabling the water to overflow outwards from the overflow hole.4. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the heightened drumis provided with an overflow hole in a side wall of the heightened drum,and has an overflow hose for enabling the water to overflow outwardsfrom the overflow hole.